ACE looks to match NAB’s authority

Provincial body presses for autonomous status, better incentives for its officers and employees

LAHORE:

The Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE), citing exceptional performance in the last three years, has decided to demand the same powers and privileges as the National Accountability Bureau, a federal institution.

Seeking an upgrade in its resources, the graft-buster body has argued that greater authority will enable it to have more control over cases of corruption in the province. In doing so, the Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment has sought the provision of new vehicles, a 40 per cent increase in allowances and appointment of officers on vacant posts; among other things.

According to details, 66 per cent of investigation officer posts and 43 per cent of posts ranging from the rank of inspector to director are currently lying vacant at ACE, which the department believes is hampering its productivity.

ACE sources reveal that the department has a total of 272 posts between the ranks of director general to director, out of which 155 are occupied while 117 are vacant at the moment. From the vacant posts, 65 posts are to be filled by assistant directors, nine by inspectors, 39 vacancies by deputy directors and four by directors. The top vacant posts are of director technical headquarters and regional directors for Multan, Bahawalpur and Gujranwala.

Similarly, 84 of the 130 posts of investigation officers are vacant while the current working strength is only 46. In the investigation branch, 24 posts of director investigation, seven posts of deputy director technical, 48 posts of assistant director investigation and five posts of assistant director technical are vacant.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, sources at the department revealed that the Services and General Administration Department of Punjab has not filled the vacant posts at ACE, due to which the institution has not been able to achieve the needful. “The lack of staff has led to a backlog of unattended inquires and investigations at ACE Punjab,” they commented. 

Thus, the department has urged the provincial government to prioritise efforts to combat corruption and white collar crimes by enacting and amending laws by giving ACE more administrative and financial powers, akin to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

As alleged by ACE officers, the NAB staff gets higher salaries, privileges and powers due to which their performance is better than officers of the provincial anti-corruption wing. Whereas, lack of incentives and a dated pay scale has put a damper on the morale of ACE officers, in regard to which the department has sought a 40 per cent increase in allowances for all its employees.

“Anti-Corruption does not have its own building and most of its offices, including the headquarters, are situated on rented premises. The agency has worn-out and inadequate number of functional vehicles. The department has requisitioned Rs45 million for purchase of new vehicles but the request has not been paid heed to,” told an ACE officer on conditions of anonymity.

ACE has maintained that given the financial and administrative autonomy as well as better incentives, ACE will improve and will be able to function like the NAB as per the anti-corruption strategy issued by the Prime Minister.

It may be recalled that the Punjab government had earlier issued instructions to the DG Anti-Corruption to implement the Prime Minister’s Anti-Corruption Strategy. On the other hand, DG Anti-Corruption Punjab Gohar Nafees maintains that ACE Punjab has been showing up with extraordinary performance despite all odds. The claims appear to be backed by statistics that suggest that the Anti-Corruption Establishment received over 54,519 complaints against corruption during the past three years, based on which it compiled a record of 26,463 inquiries and 10,723 corruption cases.

“There have been several arrests, including that of a Grade 21 officer, which is exemplary. In the past, although ACE has apprehended officers in grades 17 to 19 but no Grade 20 and Grade 21 officer was ever sacked. We have exhibited an ideal performance but unfortunately powers and perks of our officers are not at par with those of NAB’s,” lamented Nafees.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 25^th, 2021.